true, true. i had issues with the total nonexistence of facilitation in the street spokes at the capitol and later. but i think that is due to inexperience in those situations.

also, the bloc has always been a tactic. an affinity group of RCYB even took the streets and participated in the RAAB for bush's first inaugural. so anyone can be bloc. it just happens to be a tactic specifically developed by anarchists since 1991 in the US, and since 1980's autonomen in germany.

experienced folks were also in short supply (how many there rocked the RACB at A16? maybe a handful including me. maybe only a couple of us. and if you don't know what i am referring to, then you probably didn't.) case in point, when someone shouted "fuck the corporate media" as a chant later, a lot of people had actually never heard that before. but that is not the fault of newer participants.

so why didn't any more experienced anarchists take the streets? because 98% of the time these marches have been useless in the past two years. last major showdown in dc that was worth it as an action, it seems, was the second inaugural. others had pronounced the black bloc tactic dead...yet again, and never bothered to show. others got cynical. some just were not in the loop, and now they are jealous of everyone who was there. so they will be back.

but what needs to happen to make this all continue to work, and not factionalize anarchists (and the sds'ers in bloc were anarchists)?

some in SDS need to learn what consensus entails. a hint: it does not entail making speeches through megaphones at your fellow bloc'ers. but accusations have been made a lot of times in the past about people being authoritarian, so we need to remember to focus on positives too. it rocked! ok.

and experienced direct actionists need to be there with the inexperienced ones: younger folks get to learn new tactics by watching someone do it rather than by learning the hard way like we did, and we old surly ones get energy from people who haven't actually given up hope yet or burned out on the movement.

it takes a lot to keep this shit going, a lot of patience and a thick skin. as someone who came to this as his first serious black bloc action in years, don't give up. work together, but respect autonomy.

rock.

I didn't think I recognized the bull horn guy from the march. I came out with the GMU SDS and i think we might have an anarchist or two, but we certainly weren't all anarchists. I was at the front pushing past police and even made it past with only like 4 other people, not decked out in the black or subscribing to anarchism(socialism instead)
There is an issue with SDS's stance on things which arrives because the reformed group is still newish. That guy should not have userped(sp) our push to the capitol, but his intentions were good, to move past celebrating and do something else.
Point being, it was not soley an anarchist march, or an SDS march(whatever we happen to believe); i brought out a friend who is perfectly content to vote for the democrats and she pushed past the police with the rest of us. We have to unite over our common goals.

first, the radical bloc was called by a local sds chapter. soooo that is why there were sds banners. the person at the capitol with the bull horn was a member of sds, but not someone who joined the radical march so you cannot really include them in the sds-ers that were at the radical march. I dont know about you but i saw members of sds pushing police barricades, storming steps, taking the streets, and doing some other pretty rad things at the recruitment center. just as with any group there are assholes involved, whether it be sds or any other anti-authoritarian group.

The youthful historical reenactors calling themselves, the "New SDS", imprinted their name on the same call, for the same anti-authoritarian contingent that meets in the same place, at every stinking DC march. Taking credit for it is a page out of the old little red book.
The SDS banners were there, because like any formal, static organization, collegiate-tribute or otherwise, they have to expend resources to promote and sustain the organization, which soon becomes the first priority.
Organization comes from struggle, not the other way around.
I'm not alone in not being able to take the "New SDS" and more seriously than the "New Black Panther Party."

What do you care what kids want to call themselves?
I was in SDS and only nostalgia freaks on book tour, might care. The name is not trademarked.

Thank you new SDS for making the day much more than aerobics for the elderly.

But I do have 2 cents to add: Organizing an action is more than obsessing on "tactics". Building unity around your own platform takes more than sniping at those who you think are too passive or Democratic Party.

I don't care what they call themselves
I just wish they'd call themselves alot less than they do.

SDS-this, SDS-that. I can get that from christians or commies.

actually if memory serves me correctly only one radical bloc has started from dupont in recent years and that was september 24th. most other ones have started from farrugut square, columbia heights, franklin square park... so your analysis is flawed.